Taking a Chance
by Elisa Trapt
Summary: Summary: Post Season 5. Can Jack and Audrey find their way back to each other after Jack returns from China? And a possible scenario for how Jack and Audrey's relationship began.
1. Taking a Chance, Part I

This was actually the first fic I ever wrote, after Season 5. The original version has a more, shall we say, "steamy" ending, but I don't want to get myself in trouble here. So I'm working on a more p.c. coda, but I think it stands okay as it is, so I'll post it.

I would love to hear what you think, so if you have a moment, please drop me a comment!

Thanks, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Jack and Audrey, sadly, do not belong to me. If they did, I would be a lot richer. Instead, that honor goes to the creators of _24_, and to Kiefer and Kim, who bring them to life for us. I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

* * *

Audrey pulled the rental car up in front of the house and shut off the engine, but made no attempt to get out of the car. Instead, she peered out the window at the house, and then her gaze settled on the box lying on the passenger seat next to her. She closed her eyes, and leaned her head back against the headrest. 

_You're an idiot_, she told herself. _You could have just mailed it. It hardly needs a hand delivery._

But the masochist in her knew why she was here. Knew why she had held onto the box and its contents for months. Knew why she was miles away from the conference center she was supposed to be where her father was speaking.

Because she had to see him one last time.

She opened her eyes, and glanced at the house again. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the box and opened the door.

* * *

Audrey rang the doorbell for a third time, mostly to prove to herself that this had been a shot in the dark anyway. 

_Well, I guess this is what you get_, she thought and turned to go back to the car. At least she could grab a pen and leave a note on the box. It was better this way, she tried to convince herself. Less painful. But as she stepped off the stoop, the door opened behind her.

"Audrey."

She turned, snapped around by the voice she would know anywhere, and saw him standing in the doorway, his hands shoved in his pockets.

The sight of him had an immediate effect on her, even though he looked much the same as when she'd seen him months earlier. He was dressed comfortably, in a pair of old jeans and a faded long-sleeve shirt with some long-forgotten band's logo across the front. His hair, as always, looked like he had just barely remembered to run his hand through it that morning. And the faint hint of a beard darkened the line of his jaw.

But it was his eyes that she was drawn to immediately. Lord, those eyes. The ones that could bring grown men to confession with the force of their stare, and yet the ones that knew her soul with a single glance.

As much as she thought she had been ready for it, the reality of him actually standing in front of her numbed her brain.

And the way he said her name, without surprise, made her think that he had seen her coming, that he had been watching her. Had he been deciding whether or not to answer the door?

"Jack," she managed to get out. They stared at each other, neither seeming to know how to do more than speak the other's name.

It was Jack who finally spoke.

"Do you…do you want to come in?" He took his hands out of his pockets, and gestured awkwardly toward the door.

She shook her head.

"No, I just came to…" she trailed off. She had just come to what? She hardly knew herself.

"Audrey." He stepped back and pushed the door open wider. She hesitated another moment. It was dangerous, she knew, to go in. Out here, in the afternoon sun it was safe, she could control this. _Just give him the box, and walk away_, the voice inside her head advised her. _Do not make this harder than it has to be. You've seen him. That's all you wanted, right? Walk away_.

But she had not been listening to that voice all day. Instead, she stepped past Jack and into the house, trying to ignore the way his eyes swept over her as she passed by him.

It was dark inside, cool. The only light was coming through the drawn window shades. The first thing she noticed when she walked in was all the boxes. They were in various stages of packing, some already taped and labeled.

She turned around as Jack closed the door behind him, and asked the obvious, "You're selling the house?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I…it's too big for just me. Kim doesn't want it, says there are too many memories…." He left the rest unspoken, but she knew; there were too many memories here for him too.

The silence stretched between them again, and Audrey found he was looking at her expectantly. Surprised, she realized that she was still clutching the box to her chest.

She looked down at it and then at him.

"I brought…" she cleared her throat and tried again. "These are your things. They were at my house in D.C. It's not much, really, but I thought you might want them. There are a couple pictures of Kim." She spoke hurriedly, as if she were afraid that he might not believe her reason for being there. She held it out.

"Oh." Jack stared at her again for a moment, and then stepped forward to take the box. "Thank you." He set it on a small table near the door.

Audrey hadn't thought beyond what she would say once she gave him the box, and she searched for something, anything. There were a thousand things she wanted to say, that needed to be said, but they all stuck in her throat. It was too damn hard, and she knew what his reaction would be anyway.

"How's Kim?" was best she could do, and instantly regretted it. But much to her surprise, the question brought a fleeting smile to his face.

"Good. She's slowly letting me spend some time with her. I try to see her once a week."

Audrey nodded, genuinely happy for him. "Jack, that's wonderful."

And then suddenly she had the feeling that she had to get out of there. This was too much - this small talk, the unnerving way he was looking at her as she spoke, the unexpected way she felt like she couldn't catch a complete breath.

She crossed her arms and looked at the floor, then willed herself to look back up at him.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, and started to step toward the door. Before she could make it past him, however, Jack reached out and touched her forearm lightly.

"Audrey, wait."

His fingers on her arm felt like fire, even through the material of her blouse. She jerked away and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control the riot of emotions his brief touch caused.

"Please don't," she managed in the strongest voice she could, still looking at the door.

Jack dropped his hand, and stepped back before saying,

"I just wanted…Are you…How are you?" She could hear the slight tremor in his voice.

_How do you think I am?_ she wanted to say. _I can barely get through each day without thinking of you. _

_I'm lost, _she wanted to say.

But what she said was, "Please, Jack, I can't." she shook her head. "I can't do this. I have to go."

"Audrey, _you_ came _here_."

"I know. I'm sorry. It was a mistake, I shouldn't have come." She reached for the doorknob. As she turned it, she heard him behind her say softly, in a voice filled with anguish,

"I did it to protect you, Audrey. You have to believe that."

She turned on him, the old anger flaring instantly.

"You did it to protect yourself, Jack! You did it so you wouldn't have to feel any more. Because you think you shouldn't be happy. Because you think that you deserve to be punished for the rest of your life!"

She caught the hard look on his face, and was out the door before he had a chance to respond. As she hurried down the driveway, she heard the door slam behind her.

* * *

Audrey managed to keep the tears at bay until she couldn't see the house any more. But as she left the neighborhood, they finally spilled over, and she swiped at them angrily. 

_It's your own damn fault. He was right – _you _went _there.

She took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself. Looking at the clock on the dash, she realized it was now too late to make it back to the conference center; her father would almost be done with his speech by now. Instead, she drove back to the hotel, intending to get some work done, and maybe keep her mind off what just happened.

But when she got to her room, she found she was too restless to concentrate on anything. After leaving her father a message to let him know she was all right, and that she would meet him for breakfast in the morning, she changed into a pair of running shorts and shirt, and headed back outside into the early Spring evening. There was a park about a mile from the hotel with some decent trails, and Audrey broke into a slow jog in that direction. Reaching the park, she picked up her pace, trying desperately to leave the afternoon behind her.


	2. Taking a Chance, Part II

Audrey had never intended to fall in love with Jack Bauer.

She first met him when he came to work for the Department of Defense. The little she knew of him came from her father – that he was a former CTU agent, that he had a reputation for bending or ignoring rules if he felt they didn't suit him – and from the file the DoD had on him – one daughter, had lost his wife several years ago during the course of a mission, recovering from a drug addiction.

When he started working for her father, he didn't say much, kept to himself. He had a quiet intensity about him, and a haunted look in his eyes that she sometimes glimpsed when he thought no one was looking.

There was no denying that he was attractive - the navy eyes, the curve of his upper lip, the persistent stubble around his jaw. She found that the way his hair never seemed like it met a brush gave him an almost boyish quality that stood in stark contrast against the way he carried himself. And he obviously kept in shape.

But Audrey was married, and although lately that marriage was on very shaky ground, Audrey did nothing more than acknowledge the attraction and move on.

As he settled in, Jack proved to be excellent at his job, and they found they worked well together.

* * *

It wasn't until a few months later that there was even any indication that there was something between them beyond a solid working relationship. 

They found themselves in yet another hotel, in Chicago, where they were spending the weekend while her father made the rounds on the press circuit and held question-and-answer sessions about his latest defense strategy.

It had been a long day and she was headed up to her room when she happened to walk by the conference room they'd been in earlier, and saw Jack seated at a table, making notes in his laptop. His suit jacket lay on the chair next to him along with his tie, and he had rolled up his sleeves, revealing the tattoo on his left forearm. She had seen a hint of it before, but he'd never been so casual about it. Mostly he kept it covered up, she presumed to stay professional. But if she were being honest with herself, she found it…appealing.

"Hey," she said, walking in before he caught her staring. He looked up.

"Hey."

"It's late. What are you still doing here?" He ran his hand briefly through his hair.

"I'm just finishing up. There's not a lot of time tomorrow, so I though I would get these reports ready. Your father is going to need them on Monday when he meets with the Cabinet."

She nodded, and was about to say goodnight when a different thought struck her.

"It's been a long day. I think the bar downstairs is still open. Would you like to get a drink?"

Jack hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

Although the bar was almost empty, they ended up at a small table in the back, he with a draft beer and she with a glass of red wine. Although it was strange at first to spend time with him in a non-work related way, Audrey found that she felt comfortable with Jack, though she couldn't even begin to explain why.

They talked about nothing important. She asked about his daughter, and he told her a little about Kim, and how she and her boyfriend were looking for a house. He asked what it was like growing up a politician's daughter, and she regaled him with a few choice stories she used at parties about when she had caused her father particular embarrassment. She actually got him to chuckle a couple times, a sound she decided she liked very much.

When she finally looked at her watch it was well past midnight.

"Wow, I didn't realize how late it is. I'd better go, or I'm never going to make it tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Jack got up and paid the bartender for both of their drinks. Audrey wasn't sure how to feel about that, but decided that Jack most likely wouldn't let her pay.

He turned to wait for her, and then opened the door leading back to the hotel lobby, his hand briefly touching the small of her back as he guided her through it.

She nearly jumped. His touch was electric, and it surprised the hell out her. Not the fact that he touched her, but her immediate reaction to it. She tried not to appear as flustered as she felt as they walked onto the elevator together. Jack got off at the floor before her. As he stepped into the hallway, he turned back toward her and smiled, which she noticed made the corners of his eyes crinkle.

"Thanks for the drink, Audrey. It was a good idea."

She smiled back. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

As the elevator doors closed, she leaned her head back against the wall.

"What the hell was that?" she asked herself, and realized in that moment that she was probably in a lot of trouble.

* * *

The next two months found them traveling along the East Coast as the Secretary's schedule intensified, and it became a habit for Jack and Audrey to meet up in the hotel bar, or to find a place down the street if there wasn't one in the hotel, to relax for a few minutes after the long days. They continued to keep it light, but it was getting harder to ignore that their late night get-togethers maybe weren't just about two colleagues winding down after a tiring work day. 

But there were obstacles in the way of a relationship that was anything more than friendship. Her marriage, for one. Certainly Jack was aware of Paul. She'd mentioned him in passing on a couple of occasions, but he never asked about him directly, probably sensing, correctly, that there were problems there.

Truthfully, her marriage to Paul was falling apart, and had been for the better part of a year. He was hardly around anymore, spending most of his time traveling on business. At first, Audrey had been devastated when she realized that they had completely grown apart after eight years together, and she had wanted to fight for their marriage. She tried talking to Paul, and when that didn't work, she convinced him to try counseling. But his heart wasn't in it, and eventually she gave up. She asked him for the trial separation, and although he seemed sad about it, he agreed fairly willingly. That has been just weeks after Jack came to work for the DoD.

And then there was Jack himself. There was always something intense and edgy about him, something deeper than she had any right asking about. Every time he spoke, she got the impression he was holding back, and that it took a great effort on his part. He seemed to relax with her in the evenings, if only for a little while, but she knew there was far more to him than what he let her see.

* * *

It wasn't until her father's speech in Philadelphia that either of them did anything about their growing attraction. She'd found him in the bar as usual, having ordered her a glass of wine already. Audrey smiled and slid into the seat across from him, prepared to spend the usual hour or so in his company. Except that they'd stayed longer than normal, the day after being a rare one when they didn't have to be up at some god-awful hour. One drink turned into two, and Audrey found herself feeling pleasantly warm. 

He'd walked her onto the elevator as usual, and though Jack's hand was now familiar on her back, it still produced the same shiver down her spine as the first time. And she suspected he now knew it too.

Recently, he'd gotten into the habit of following her off the elevator and walking her to her room, and that night was no different.

Jack made sure she was at her door and turned around to leave when Audrey reached out and touched his arm.

"Jack," she almost whispered, half not believing what she was doing even as she watched her fingers brush his shirt sleeve. Recognizing the change in her voice, he stopped and then turned back toward her slowly, not moving away from her, but not moving toward her either. Waiting. She stepped closer, until she was in his space, until she could feel the heat of him. Until there wasn't any doubt what she was suggesting.

"Audrey." She could see him swallow, trying to regain the composure that she'd obviously shaken. He tried again, "Audrey, it's late. We've both had a couple drinks. And the truth is, you're married. This isn't what you want…."

She silenced him by placing one finger over his lips.

"Jack," she said again in a low voice, "Please."

His dark eyes met hers, and she could see his resolve slipping. Slowly, he reached up and lifted her hand from where her finger rested on his mouth, and brought the inside of her wrist to his lips, kissing it gently, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on hers. Placing her hand against his chest, he reached for her, tangling his hand in her hair as he pulled her toward him.

When he lowered his mouth to hers, she nearly gasped. His lips were even softer than she imagined they would be, and he tasted smoky from the drink he'd had downstairs. Her mouth willingly opened up to his. The kiss was slow, yet when they pulled apart, both found themselves taking ragged breaths.

Jack found his voice first, "God…Audrey."

She smiled. "Jack," was all she could manage for the third time, and she reached for him again. But before she could touch him, he took her hand in his and stepped back.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he reassured her in a low voice. "But if I stay here, we both know where it's going. We need time to think about this."

She dropped her head and started to shake it, but he cut her off. He dipped his head to catch her eye again.

"Hey. I'm not saying that I don't want this. I'm saying I want both of us to be sure. Okay?" He let go of her hand, and cupped her face with his palm. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. She nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he told her, and turned and walked down the hall.

* * *

It was soon evident to both of them that that first kiss had little to do with what they'd had to drink that night. It had merely made it easier to take that step, and during the next stops on the Secretary's itinerary, their days were filled with stolen moments – when Jack would pick her up outside her door before they met her father in the morning, at night when the long day was over. When it was late enough and there was no one around, he would grab her in the elevator, pressing her up against the wall until the door opened to admit another person or they reached their floor. 

It was a heady feeling. She'd forgotten what the beginning of a relationship was like - the constant desire, the feeling that she couldn't get enough of him, how the sight of him during the day suddenly caught her and she had to fight the urge to grin like a fool.

Their chance moments were intoxicating. Each touch, each time his lips found her skin, each time she drew him against her, the pressure built. And on one evening when he turned to go, she caught his arm.

"Jack," she said softly, "Stay." He looked in her eyes as he brushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear, letting his hand rest along her jaw, his thumb stroking her cheek.

"Audrey, are you sure?" She could hear the tension in his voice. Even now, he was trying to do the right thing, to let her choose, but Audrey knew he wanted it as much as she did.

"Yes," she breathed. She opened the door and led him inside.

* * *

After that, they reserved two rooms purely for appearance. How they managed to keep their relationship from her father, she still couldn't explain. She felt like anyone could tell the second they both were in the same room together. But somehow they remained discreet during the day. 

They made up for it at night, barely making it to their room before reaching for each other. Audrey found more tattoos than just on his forearm, and she studied each one, tracing them with her fingers, and then with her tongue. She loved the way he shivered when she touched him. He found her ticklish spot just inside her elbow, and would hold her down while he nuzzled it, making her squirm against him. They spent the nights discovering each other, learning what drove the other to lose control.

When they exhausted themselves from making love, they would lie tangled in each other, talking. For it was in the shadows of the night that Jack seemed most comfortable, most willing to speak of his past. He told her about his heroine addiction, how he'd incurred it while deep undercover. He told her about Teri, holding Audrey tight against him.

And slowly Audrey began to understand the darkness inside Jack Bauer.

He answered all of her questions, and she found him to be more open than she expected. It was as if years of interrogating people had made him realize that it was just best to put all the information on the table, and he left it up to Audrey to decide what to do with it. She listened and tried not to judge – this was his life, and she got the impression that she was the first person he had ever spoken to about any of it.

She in turn told Jack about Paul. It was only fair that he knew. Yes, they were still married, but it was in name only. For her, it had been over for months. He seemed to accept that, and didn't push her any further.

* * *

They enjoyed a few short weeks of happiness. Back in D.C., they continued to work, but most nights Jack spent at Audrey's townhouse. Some of his things even made their way into her place. She discovered she didn't mind how quickly things were moving between them, but she was more than a little startled to discover how deep her feelings were for him. Quite simply, she had never felt about anyone the way she felt about Jack. Not Paul, not anyone. 

But then the terrible day that began with her and her father's kidnapping tore through their lives. The day that started with Audrey telling Jack she was falling in love with him ended with him dying thinking she hated him.

She never forgave herself.

* * *

And then, impossibly, he was back. Alive. The news broadsided her. Before Audrey could even process it, there he was, standing in front of her. Neither one knew where to begin. And although she managed to let him know that she didn't hold him responsible for Paul's death, there was so much more between them than they had time to get into. 

She thought that when she went to meet him in the early morning after President Logan was taken into custody, they would finally have that time.

Except that the world continued to conspire against them, and he was taken from her again, this time by the Chinese. It was unreal. Her heart, which had just started to mend, was ripped out all over again. And this time it would not heal.

* * *

Jack was eventually rescued. With her father's help, she worked fervently to find him, using every method she could think of. Bill Buchanan offered CTU's services to her, and after months of searching, he sent Curtis and his TAC team to extract him when they finally located him in a military facility in Beijing. The Chinese, not eager to admit that they'd tortured a U.S. citizen, did not pursue their case against Jack. 

When they brought him back, Audrey was devastated when she saw him. He was badly beaten and barely conscious. He slipped into a coma soon after he arrived in the hospital.

Audrey kept an almost constant vigil by his side, ignoring the pleas of her father and nurses alike to leave and take care of herself. She'd be damned if she was going to lose him again.

Except it soon became clear that she had lost him anyway, despite all she'd done. When Jack woke from the coma weeks later, she barely recognized him. His eyes were distant, empty. Any attempts she made to speak to him were met with short answers or silence.

It wasn't that he didn't know who he was or what had happened. When they came to debrief him, he answered all their questions. He told them every horrific detail about his months with the Chinese.

But when Audrey entered the room, he would look the other way, shutting her out.

At first, she thought that it would just take time. He'd been through so much. She tried to be patient and didn't push him. When he was released from the hospital, she gave him his space.

Her father offered Jack his old job back, but he declined. He started working at CTU again, with a singular intensity. The more dangerous the mission, the more Jack wanted it. And the more he pushed Audrey away.

Eventually, she pushed back, exhausted by the months of trying to allow time to heal the rift between them. She confronted him, asking him what was going on. Asking him what he wanted her to do.

His answer shocked her. "Please leave," was all he'd said. And although she tried, no amount of persuasion or shouting changed his mind.

The last time she saw him, he was standing with his head bowed as she walked out the door.


	3. Taking a Chance, Part III

Audrey didn't know how far she had run, but the ache in her legs told her that she had been at it for miles. It was starting to get dark, and she at last felt that her mind had stopped spinning. She headed out of the park back to her hotel room.

Stripping off her running clothes, she stepped into the shower, closing her eyes as the hot needles of water hit her skin. It felt good on her sore muscles. Standing under the spray, she almost forgot about her disastrous meeting with Jack. Almost.

Stepping out of the shower, she dried her hair, and pulled on a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. Just as she was deciding whether to go downstairs to the little café or order some room service for dinner, she was startled by a knock on the door.

Figuring it was most likely her father checking in on her, she peeked through the security lens just to be sure before opening the door. Who she saw on the other side instead caused her to take a sharp breath. She stood still for a moment, and then pulled the door open slowly.

"Jack," she said as he stood in front of her.

He looked like hell. He was in the same jeans she had seen him in earlier, but had exchanged the faded shirt for a blue collared oxford. It was rumpled, as if he had found it at the bottom of some box he'd already packed. Audrey briefly wondered if it was merely a coincidence that it was her favorite color on him. She'd always thought it accented the blue of his eyes. As it was doing now.

She took in the rest of him. He looked tired, for even as his eyes were fixed on hers, she could see the exhaustion behind them. Like he'd been awake for days. And yet at the same time, there was an anxious energy about him. He was doing his best to hide it, but she knew him too well.

He hadn't looked that way that afternoon, and Audrey took some small satisfaction in the fact that perhaps she wasn't the only one affected by their earlier interaction. But what that meant, she had no idea.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"I don't think that's–" she started.

"Audrey, please," he cut her off. She saw the set of his jaw, and she knew that it was pointless to turn him away. She opened the door.

"How did you even find me?" she asked as he walked in. He hesitated for a moment, and then said,

"I called DoD."

Audrey sighed and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, not even bothering to ask how many people he harassed to get her location. She looked up at him.

"Why are you here, Jack?"

"You left today before I could say anything." His voice sounded like he was fighting for every inch of control.

"There's nothing left to say. I told you–"

"No!" he said forcefully, cutting her off for a second time. "There is something to say." He paused. "I owe you an explanation."

Taken aback, she closed her mouth and waited. This was new. She could see him clench his teeth several times, and then he began to speak in a measured tone as his eyes met hers.

"You think I did what I did to protect myself, but you're wrong. I did it to keep you safe. It's too dangerous to be anywhere near me, Audrey. Everyone I have ever loved or cared about has either died or been put in jeopardy because of me. Because of _me_. The people I work to bring down will stop at nothing to see that I fail, and they won't think twice about using people in my life against me. I can't let that happen anymore. I won't."

Audrey thought he would say more, but he was obviously waiting for her to respond.

"What are you saying, Jack? That you were worried your enemies would try to get to me?"

"Yes."

"And you decided to take matters into your own hands in order to prevent that."

"Yes."

Audrey felt her temper getting the better of her. "The only solution you could come up with was to push me away? So that I would leave? Without telling me any of this? Without trusting me?"

She could tell he was getting frustrated with her as his voice rose.

"It had nothing to do with trust. I had to protect you. It was one of the hardest decisions–"

"It wasn't your decision to make! You weren't just deciding about your own life, you were deciding about mine. About us!" Her voice was rising too.

"What would you have done if I told you? Would you have understood?"

"No, of course not. Because it's ridiculous!"

"It's not ridiculous. Goddamn it, Audrey, you're alive!"

"Without you!" she shouted, glaring at him. He glared back.

It seemed for a moment that they had reached an impasse, and she took the opportunity to steady her breathing. At last, she spoke, choosing her words carefully.

"Don't you think I understand that your job is dangerous? I, of all people, understand that. But I accepted that that's who you are. I know I didn't at first. The day that Paul died, I had no idea what was happening. I was terrified and confused. You seemed so different than the man I had fallen in love with. The things you had told me about your past life, well…I don't think I really got it until then. To see who you were when the stakes were that high, to know what you were capable of…." She trailed off for a moment, not able to finish the thought.

"But, Jack, when I lost you that day," her voice caught, "when I thought that you had died, I realized…you were it for me. I loved you so much it scared the hell out of me. And I knew in that instant that Bill told me you were gone, I was never going to love anyone like that again." By this time, tears were spilling down her cheeks, but she made no attempt to stop them. She had to get this out.

"So when you reappeared, it was like some miraculous second chance. I was terrified all over again, but I wasn't going to let it slip away this time. I was ready to try. Because I'd lived the alternative, and it was pure hell.

"But after China…everything was different. I can't even pretend to imagine what you suffered over there, but it obviously changed your mind about a lot of things. Your job. Me. The worst part was you wouldn't talk to me. You shut me out without any explanation. It seemed like you just…gave up on us." She finished, letting the words hang in the air. She noticed that he was no longer looking at her, but down at the floor.

"Jack?" she demanded. She waited for some sort of reaction from him, anything. But the only indication he had heard her at all was that the thumb of his right hand was rubbing against the tips of his other four fingers, something he did when he was nervous, unsure.

She let a few more beats go by, and when he still didn't say anything, she shook her head.

"Fine," she said in a resigned voice, and went to step past him to open the door. Now there really was nothing left for her to say.

Except as she started to walk by him, his right hand shot out, grabbing her upper right arm and holding tight. Audrey froze.

They stood that way for what seemed like forever to her, facing in opposite directions. Though she wasn't looking at him, she knew that a silent struggle was going on inside Jack, between what he wanted and what he thought was right. She could do nothing – it was his fight.

Finally, he turned his head slightly, speaking somewhere toward the back her head. His words were delivered so low she almost didn't catch them.

"You were right, earlier," he told her.

"About what?" she asked, her tone still sharp, not willing to completely let go of her anger.

"About how I pushed you away to protect myself. Audrey…I couldn't let myself love you anymore. It was too painful. If something ever happened to you, I could never…"

She softened then.

"I know, Jack. I know you were scared. So was I. And I know that you haven't had a lot of guarantees in your life. But I also know this - people rarely get what you and I had, if ever. Our connection, it was bigger than you or me alone. For me, it was worth taking a chance on."

Jack said nothing for a moment, contemplating what she'd said. At last, he spoke, saying the words she thought she'd never hear from him.

"Are you still willing to take the chance?"

The question was both everything she'd wanted to hear and everything she was afraid to face. She felt herself trembling as she turned her head as well so she could see his profile out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes."

* * *

Jack let go of her arm, and they both turned to face each other, an arm's length apart. He studied her, seeming to take in every aspect of her as his eyes swept over her face and down the length of her body. Neither one said a word. But the anger that had been between them a moment ago was gone, replaced by something else. A different tension. 

Jack made the first move. His right arm reached up, and he slowly traced the backs of his fingers across her left temple and along her cheek.

Audrey stood perfectly still, knowing how much of an effort it was for him. Knowing she couldn't push him.

His fingers continued down her neck and across her shoulder. They followed the length of her arm until they closed gently around her hip.

He tugged ever so slightly, and she stepped forward, into his space. She noticed that his eyes had settled on her mouth, but still she waited. Slowly, slowly, he leaned forward, until the space between them closed to nothing, and at last pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was tentative, chaste. He broke away and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Audrey…."

It was a plea, from somewhere deep inside him. She heard the fear in his voice, and understood that he had come as far as he could; that he needed her help.

At last she moved, bringing her hands up to frame his face. She tilted his head up, forcing him to look at her. She held his eyes with hers. She saw the guilt there, and the pain he carried with him always. But Audrey also saw something in those navy depths that she hadn't seen since he'd been taken from her. A flicker of desire. Of hope.

She rubber her thumbs tenderly against his skin.

"Hey. It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay to want this."

* * *

Something lifted in him then. She saw him inhale deeply, releasing a long breathe. And this time, when his mouth met hers, the hesitancy was gone. Instead, his lips were demanding, his tongue slipping into her mouth, finding hers. Audrey moaned; it had been so long. 

When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathing hard. Her hands on his shoulders, she again pressed her forehead to his.

"I missed you," she said simply. A ghost of a smile played across his lips.

"I love you," he answered.


	4. Taking a Chance, Part IV

(Okay, a couple of my readers have assured me it's okay to post this last part. So what the hell, I'm going for it! Please be warned, it's of an "M" nature!)

* * *

Words left them after that.

Audrey reached for him, pulling him toward her until she once again felt his lips against her own. She draped her arms loosely around his neck as she rediscovered the feel of him pressed against her, the taste of him. The sensation was both familiar and new. Audrey carefully kissed her way along his jaw, lightly raking her teeth along his earlobe before burying her face in Jack's shoulder, breathing in his scent, the smell that was masculine and earthy and completely him.

They stood that way for a moment, as Jack cradled her head to him, his nose pressed to her hair, before he gently pulled her back.

Placing soft kisses on her mouth, her neck, Jack's hands moved along her shoulders until he found the buttons of her shirt, slowly undoing each one until he could push it off her shoulders, where it landed in a pool at her feet. So slowly, his hands skimmed over her collarbone and brushed down the sides of her breasts before touching the delicate skin of her stomach. Audrey sighed against his lips. Sliding his hands further down, Jack stopped at the top of her jeans.

He looked at her, asking.

_Yes_, she told him with her eyes. _Yes_.

He held her gaze as he undid the button, and then the zipper. Audrey let out a shaky breath. And then she was stepping out of her jeans, where they joined her shirt on the floor.

Jack stepped back from her, his eyes traveling over every inch of her bare skin, and she suddenly had the irrational wish that she were wearing something more attractive than the plain black cotton bra and underwear she had grabbed after her shower.

But one glance at Jack, and all of her insecurities left her. He was looking at her with what could only be described as pure male appreciation.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful you are," he told her quietly, his voice breaking the silence between them before he moved back toward her. One hand at her waist, the other sliding behind her neck, he again captured her mouth with his as he backed her up until her hips connected with of one of the couches in the room.

Audrey's breath came in short bursts as he trailed kisses down her neck, softly kissing the top of each breast, before dropping to his knees in front of her. His mouth was hot against her skin as his tongue slid over her ribs, across her belly.

He paused, and looked up at her. Audrey returned the look with absolute trust.

She saw another hint of a smile, and he returned his concentration to where it had been, hooking his fingers into the waistband of her panties, slowly removing them until they joined the pile of clothes at her feet. And then his mouth was busy again, placing kisses on the inside of her knee, making his way upward, the stubble along his jaw causing a delicious friction.

Audrey grabbed the back of the couch with both hands. His mouth was moving tantalizingly close to where she wanted it most. Where her body was telling her how much she wanted this. Wanted him. Only him.

And then, abruptly, he stopped. Through half open eyes, she watched him pull away from her, rocking back on his heels. Waiting. Teasing. And just when she didn't think she could take it one more second, dear God, there he was, his tongue tentatively touching her, tasting her.

It was too much. Audrey's eyes slipped shut, and her head fell back as his mouth moved against her, his tongue pushing into her.

Her breath became more rapid, the pressure building.

"Oh, God," she moaned. "Jack…."

He heard her, and reached up, closing his left hand around her waist, helping to steady her. Audrey leaned into the support, having no idea how long her legs would hold her.

It didn't take much longer to find out.

Jack had been resting his other hand along the back of her calf, but now he was moving it slowing up the inside of her thigh.

His tongue left her then, and she gasped audibly as he slipped one finger inside of her, and then, two.

_Sweet Jesus_. It was clear he remembered just how to touch her, just what made her lose control. All coherent thought gone, she grasped the back of the couch with all her remaining strength.

Audrey fought to stay on her feet. She could feel her body trembling, the energy inside her almost at its peak.

Jack's fingers continued to stroke her, once, twice, against her very core, his mouth busy tracing the line of her hip.

And then, at last, Audrey was falling over the edge as her world exploded.

"Jack!" she cried out, sinking to the floor as her legs at last lost the ability to support her.

Jack caught her, shifting himself to lean against the back of the couch, easing her gently onto his lap. He folded her into his arms as the tremors in her body subsided.

She tucked her head against his shoulder, able to do nothing more than rest her left hand along his abdomen, feeling his chest rise and fall, her eyes half closed.

Little by little, her breathing returned to normal. Audrey tilted her head up to find Jack already looking at her, a satisfied smile on his lips.

She gave him a wide smile back.

"Wow," was all she could say. Jack actually chuckled at that, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah."

* * *

As Audrey felt her strength return, her left hand, which had been resting against him, wandered up his torso until it reached the patch of skin where his collared shirt formed a vee, and she hooked her fingers over the top button.

"Jack, you seem to be overdressed for the occasion," she murmured. Jack glanced down.

"Maybe you could help me with that."

"Hmmm," she answered, and shifted her position until she was straddling his lap.

One by one she undid each button until his shirt lay open, only to reveal a gray t-shirt underneath.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're not making this easy."

Jack gave her a look as he sat up and pressed a kiss to her neck.

"This isn't exactly how I thought my evening was going to turn out."

She smiled as he kissed her and then he shrugged out of the shirt she'd just undone. She in turn grabbed the hem of the t-shirt, and lifted it over his head as he obediently raised his arms to help her.

At last his chest was bare to her, and she took the time to look at him as he leaned back against the couch, his hands resting loosely at her waist. Audrey's fingers traveled up his arms, noticing that he had put muscle back on since last she saw him, loving the way his tattoos accentuated each bicep. She then let her hands wander over his chest, noting what was familiar, what was different. She found two new scars, doubtlessly souvenirs from his stay in China.

"Oh, Jack," she said quietly, tenderly kissing each one. She could only imagine what he'd been through, and it made her sick inside.

He must have noticed the expression on her face because he tilted her chin up with his finger, shaking his head at her.

"Hey. It doesn't matter."

Audrey could feel her eyes fill with tears.

"Of course it mat–"

"No. Not right now. Only this matters, right here between us. Okay?"

After a moment, Audrey nodded.

"Yes." She leaned forward and kissed him once, softly, and again, harder, as the heat flared between them again. His hands moved across her back until they reached the clasp of her bra.

"This has to go," he muttered against her lips. Audrey quickly reached behind her back and undid the clasp, tossing the garment to the side. Jack's right hand instantly slipped around, cupping one breast as his mouth slid down to find the other one. She leaned back in his arms, arching her back toward him, allowing him all the access he wanted.

Audrey lost herself in the sensation for a moment before pulling away and standing up on shaky legs. He looked up at her questioningly, and she smiled at him.

"Not here," she told him and held out her hand. He took it and stood up, letting her lead him across the room to the edge of the bed. She pulled the covers back, then turned to face him and glanced down.

"You're still overdressed," she informed him as her hands slid down his chest until they landed at the waistband of his jeans. She flicked open the button and lowered the zipper. He watched her with hooded eyes as she worked the pants over his hips, pushing them down until he could step out of them.

She stood back up, and looked at him again, now clad only in his boxers.

"Better," she said as she reached for him, pulling him close. He dropped his mouth to her shoulder, his teeth nipping at the tender skin there as her hands roamed over his back. She slipped her hands beneath his boxers and cupped what she'd always considered his fabulous ass. And then Audrey pulled him forward, hard, hearing him gasp in her ear as his hips connected with hers. For there was no denying how aroused he was as he pressed against her.

"Jesus, Audrey," he groaned, and straightened up, framing her face with his hands. She smiled before quickly removing the last remaining piece of clothing between them.

And then she was reaching between them, her hand closing around the hard length of him as she stroked him, once, twice.

She watched Jack as his eyes slipped shut and his breathing became shallow. As she went to slide her hand over him a third time, he caught her wrist. Surprised, she watched as he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm.

"Keep that up, and we won't be here much longer."

She grinned at him, and grabbed his hand again, tugging until they were at last tumbling onto the bed together.

Audrey sighed as Jack rolled her onto her back, his legs capturing her right one between them, pressing hard against her hip as he kissed her, his tongue tangling with hers. She felt his urgency.

She broke away from him, and raised her head until her lips were even with his ear.

"I want you now, Jack," she whispered.

He looked into her eyes then, as if not quite willing to believe her. "Right now," she told him and reached between them to grasp him again, confirming exactly what it was she wanted.

Jack needed no further telling. He shifted until he was positioned over her, his arms braced on either side of her shoulders. And then his eyes met hers once more as he at last entered her slowly, achingly slowly. Audrey bit her lip, trying desperately to keep her eyes open, focused on him. She had forgotten what it felt like to have him inside of her, how complete she felt.

He paused a moment, giving them each time to adjust, to savor the feeling of their joined bodies, and then he began to rock against her. Gently at first, long easy strokes. Audrey lifted both of her legs, wrapping them around his waist, changing the angle of his thrust.

Jack made a guttural sound low in his throat, his head dropping to the curve of her neck. She could hear how ragged his breath was becoming, felt the muscles in his back tense as he fought for control.

Audrey turned her head slightly so her lips were once again at his ear. She ran her tongue just underneath it, and then whispered,

"It's okay, Jack. Let go."

She felt rather than saw him shake his head. Leave it to him to want to get the job right, to still be thinking of her. She brought her hands to the back of his head, stilling him for a moment.

"Yes, let go."

He lifted his head then, enough to kiss her deeply.

"I love you," she told him as he pulled back. He grinned, and it nearly broke her heart. She hadn't seen that smile in so long.

And then there was no more time to think about it as Jack dropped his head back to her shoulder, and again began to move. Audrey's world became nothing but sensation as he drove deep inside her. Her eyes lost their battle to stay open.

She knew he was close the way his speed was increasing, his movements shorter, harder. Audrey kissed him everywhere she could reach, his neck, his shoulder, urging him on.

Two, three more thrusts and he let out a cry, her name on his lips as he collapsed in her arms.

* * *

Audrey held him, content with his weight covering her, rubbing circles on his back.

As his breathing slowed, Jack stirred, rolling to his left, pulling the covers up over both of them and gathering Audrey against him. His right hand framed her face as they lay next to each other, both of them sated, looking into each other's eyes.

"Thank you," he said softly. Audrey lifted her eyebrows.

"For what?" she asked, equally softly.

"For showing up on my doorstep today. I didn't realize until I saw you again…." He trailed off, his voice choking.

"Jack…" she sighed, touching his cheek, leaning in and kissing him gently. "I never had any choice."

There was still so much that needed to be said between them, so much that still needed to be worked through. But as Audrey settled herself against his chest, their legs tangled together, they were both, for the moment, happy.

The last thing she was aware of as she drifted toward sleep was Jack entwining her fingers with his and whispering,

"You're my life, Audrey. Always."

* * *

And in the morning when she woke, Jack Bauer was at last sleeping peacefully beside her.


End file.
